Deshaun Watson’s 2023 NFL season is over after announcing he will undergo shoulder surgery. It should have been his first full season back after serving an 11-game suspension last year. But after not going the distance for two straight years, football fans couldn’t help but revisit the trade that brought him to the Cleveland Browns.
During the 2022 offseason, the Browns traded for Watson and the Houston Texans’ 2024 sixth-draft selection. The Texans received three first-round picks (2022, 2023, 2024), a 2023 third-rounder, and two fourth-round picks.
The Texans put those picks to good use by selecting quality players. However, they have helped other NFL squads by making additional trades.
As part of the Watson trade, the Texans had the 13th overall selection of the 2022 NFL Draft. However, they made another trade with the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for their first, fourth, and two fifth-round choices.
Houston used the first-round pick from Philadelphia for offensive guard Kenyon Green. Meanwhile, the Eagles used the selection for defensive tackle Jordan Davis. The former Georgia standout won last year’s Outland Trophy and the Chuck Bednarik Award. Likewise, the Eagles have the NFC’s best record at 8-1.
Meanwhile, the Texans used the 2022 fourth-rounder on running back Dameon Pierce. He dazzled the league with 939 rushing yards, 165 receiving yards, and five total touchdowns.
The Texans owned the 12th overall pick in the first round a year later, thanks to Deshaun Watson. However, they traded it to the Arizona Cardinals for the 3rd overall selection, which they used for linebacker Will Anderson Jr., who has 31 tackles and two sacks through Week 10.
With the Cardinals possessing the 12th pick, they traded with the Detroit Lions, using the selection for Jahmyr Gibbs. The former Michigan standout has 476 rushing yards, 200 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. More importantly, the Lions have the NFC’s second-best record at 7-2.
Finally, the Texans traded the 2023 third-round selection received from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Rams. Houston moved up four spots from their original draft position before selecting Houston’s Tank Dell, who has 510 receiving yards and five touchdowns in eight games.
Combine their talents with C.J. Stroud, and you get an offense that can compete among the league’s best. The Texans indirectly helped the New York Giants improve their roster, allowing them to get promising wideout Jalin Hyatt.
The Browns trade for Deshaun Watson is starting to look like the WORST trade in NFL history.
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) November 15, 2023
What the Browns got out of the trade:
• Deshaun Watson
What the Texans got out of the trade:
• Kenyon Green
• Will Anderson Jr.
• Dameon Pierce
• Tank Dell
And the Texans… pic.twitter.com/pZGMpadhVw
The Texans still have the 2024 first and fourth-rounders in play from the Watson trade. While their plan for those selections remains uncertain, Houston can use it to add more valuable athletes to their roster.
-Lance Fernandez